Take Back Your Yield

Control weeds to curb competition for nutrients on the orchard floor and vine berm

ST. LOUIS, Dec. 6, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- In tree nut orchards and vineyards, the only thing a manager wants to grow is that crop. Every other plant simply steals nutrients and water, challenging yield goals, robbing profit. That's why pre-emergent herbicides are foundational to successful grass and weed management programs in tree and vine crops.

"Weed control is huge in a production ag system," said Ryan Garcia, PCA/CCA with Salida Ag Chem, Hughson, California. "Weeds are stealing everything we give to the crop – our water and our nutrients. So, if we are fighting weeds then we're fighting to get a good crop."

In weedy situations, that fight continues through the season because unwanted grasses and weeds harbor insects and interfere with harvest, pointed out Dave Vermeulen, PCA/CCA, Vernalis, California. Yield impact is highly visible at harvest.

"Weeds in the field interfere with being able to blow nuts out of the strips. If you have weeds in the centers, the pickup machine may have problems picking up the nuts," Vermeulen said.

With an end goal of making a profit, growers look for products that provide a unique mode of action for resistance management, are easy-to-use, effective and offer a return on investment from increased yield potential. A long-term residual contributes to that equation: reducing costs with fewer applications and extending weed-free growing time. Recent replicated trials in California show the potential residual of three different weed-management programs.

With up to six months of residual activity, Alion® also offers control of a broad spectrum of weeds and grasses, none of which have documented resistance to the active ingredient in Alion. A short PHI and low-use rates add flexibility to a grower's weed management plan.

"I use the full range of products for weed control," said Aaron Piazza. "Alion, I think, is the best pre-emergent that we've ever had. It's the only thing that you can spray on in January that seems to make it all the way to harvest. It's very broad based. I use a lot of Alion."

Hear California PCAs and growers talk about best practices that deliver the value they need for weed control.

Bayer is committed to bringing new technology and solutions for agriculture and non-agricultural uses. For questions concerning the availability and use of products, contact a local Bayer representative, or visit Crop Science, a division of Bayer, online at www.cropscience.bayer.us.

Visit the Bayer Connect - Social Hub for social media, recent news, blog posts, videos and more from Crop Science, a division of Bayer.

About BayerBayer is a global enterprise with core competencies in the Life Science fields of health care and agriculture. Its products and services are designed to benefit people and improve their quality of life. At the same time, the Group aims to create value through innovation, growth and high earning power. Bayer is committed to the principles of sustainable development and to its social and ethical responsibilities as a corporate citizen. In fiscal 2017, the Group employed around 99,800 people and had sales of EUR 35.0 billion. Capital expenditures amounted to EUR 2.4 billion, R&D expenses to EUR 4.5 billion. For more information, go to www.bayer.us.

Forward-Looking StatementsThis release may contain forward-looking statements based on current assumptions and forecasts made by Bayer management. Various known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors could lead to material differences between the actual future results, financial situation, development or performance of the company and the estimates given here. These factors include those discussed in Bayer's public reports which are available on the Bayer website at www.bayer.com. The company assumes no liability whatsoever to update these forward-looking statements or to conform them to future events or developments.